Student Profile: Mohammed Adetayo Saka

Mohammed Adetayo Saka is a LAUTECH 500 level Mechanical Engineering student. He is a Millennium campus director of class 2024. He is also the pioneering president of the Society Of Petroleum Engineers In LAUTECH.

What is your motivation?

It has always been my dream to be hosted on the television to talk about robotics. So Dream, passion, and seeing other people succeed has been what’s been driving me forward, keeping me going despite the difficulties. From my younger days, I’ve been in love with anything with robotics in it. Right now I’m still trying to be better at being a robotic engineer and I would love to develop the aspect of being an Astrobotic. People like Taoheed Oyewo have been of great help and inspiration. His achievement has been more inspiring.

Why choose mechanical engineering as a course?

My love for robotics is the reason I chose mechanical engineering. Plus my brother who is also a mechanical engineering student also fueled my curiosity to choose the course. Coupled with the fact that, when I was seeking admission into university there was no school offering Robotics as a focus. Then due to various restrictions, I ended up choosing Mechanical Engineering as my major.

How were you able to balance school and work?

By becoming self-aware of how I manage my time, through improving my time management skills. Keeping my priority in check helps me know which is important and which is not. As for me, my academics comes first, every other thing comes second. I make use of the school period to stay focused on my academics and during the holiday I focus on embedded system engineering, robotics and programming which I spend my time innovating with my knowledge.

What are the challenges you face?

Being a robotics enthusiast, studying mechanical engineering which is a broader major, finding resources that are important is really challenging. Meeting the right people to work with, and people with the same passion as I have is more challenging than ever. I also find it slightly difficult to cope with practical classes because I’m mentally not in for it.

There was a time during my junior years in university, I was faced with financial problems which plagued me during that year then, I only get transportation fare to school 300 per day so I take bike 100 or 150 sometimes in the morning and trek back to my house in the evening to save up the remaining money and some other money I get from repairing gadgets like lamp, laptop, fan, power banks and other little electronics devices.

What would you love to give back to the LAUTECH community?

I would love to create a fully functioning tech hub that facilitates help to those like me who are passionate about robotics and probably something related. A community space that brings people and helps them become the best of what they are.

In the next 5 years, what will become of you?

Being an Ogbomoso indigene, I’ve lived in the town for quite a while. I would love to explore all around. Although Ogbomoso is a great place, it lacks the necessary resources that would help me in my career. My plan is to study further in robotics, so in the next 5 years I should still be in school outside this region, studying what I love the most.

What achievement have you made during your post graduate so far?

I’ve been to many competitions like the LIRIDE hosted by the school in which I got the gold medal. I also participated in the energy competition organized by the University of Lagos. My team and I took the second position at the finals, winning the prize.

Any random thing you’d like to share with the student populace

Keep working hard, whatever goal you set for yourself, you can reach it just like how I’m starting to achieve what I’ve always hoped for

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